The Protagonist's Character Development in The Day I Got Lost

The story, “The Day I Got Lost”, is by Isaac Bashevis Singer, who is almost the missing minded academic, playing the role of “Professor Schlemiel” who is the protagonist. When he leaves, he constantly overthinks, racking his mind even if he is absent-minded, for the things he has left before going to work. He states this on page 352, “I am what is known as an absent-minded professor.”

Professor Schlemiel character analysis

The setting of this story takes place in New York where Schlemiel teaches at a University. For instance of his absent mind, he has been teaching in the same place for many years and still has trouble finding his classrooms. He loses the simple things like his pen, money, handkerchief, and address book many times a day. It begins when Schlemiel leaves his choice home for his job. In description of Schlemiel’s identity, he is a man who wears a very long coat, a crumpled hat, with large shoes, glasses with one lens missing, and carries an umbrella in the sun. In his coat, his pockets are always filled with newspapers, magazines, and more papers, and along with that, he owns an overstuffed briefcase. He labels himself as “forgetful” and as he goes on a taxi to try and locate his address, he leaves his overstuffed briefcase then the taxi driver drives off. His possessions are always misplaced. He cannot remember his address and find his way back home. Schlemiel’s approach to locating his address was unsuccessful from how forgets something that is not usually forgotten. A tough day, the professor had faced, and on top of that, it rains. He decides to take a break and then meets a stray dog. The professor is fully aware of his situation and when he is found from his friend he wanted to reward the stray dog by taking him to his house from what they had in common. Even when Schlemiel had his troubles of being lost, he was helping another in his similar situation. He learns how to live after what has happened.

How would you react if someone asked for their address, it would seem a little suspicious. Professor Schlemiel may wonder why others won’t help him find his address. He struggles with man versus himself. In a rush to get home, he meets the taxi driver and as he couldn't state where he lived, he was dropped off to the nearest drugstore. When the taxi driver left he proceeded to do his job. Schlemiel calls a friend of his, Dr. Motherhead, who answered to be a young girl’s voice. He asks for his directions and address and the girl hangs up because it is not likely for someone to forget their address. Without an umbrella, in stormy weather, to distract himself he repeatedly thought of the ancient philosophical problem in his head. He sees the black fog in the rain and assumes that he is lost where his owner may be searching for him, sharing what they have in common. On page 355, he says, “Whatever happens to me will happen to you.” He talks about his day to the stray and wants to assume that he understands. Later he was found by his friend who was heading to Schlemiel’s birthday party. He is surprised and when they go to his house, he finds his wife worried about the long period he’s been missing. When she realizes that Schlemiel was not alone she is upset because of how she thinks it is not a good idea for the dog to interact with their other pets. Soon after, she grows to love the stray very much. Schlemiel’s dialogue throughout the story shows how desperate he was to find his way home. His response to others is questionable and suspicious. From his conversations, they all have one thing in common and that is not answering his question to get to his location. On the other views of this story, the professor seems unsure and so as he speaks with the young girl on the phone, she hangs upon him. She exclaims, “ You must be kidding!”, she may think its aprank or that someone may be trying to invade Schlemiel’s space. Besides, Schlemiel does not give up on asking for help.

Conclusion

From all of Schlemiel’s actions in this story, the readers can understand what he is going through a tough time remembering things and is a forgetful person. As to trying to solve his problem, when he tried to look up his name in the phone book, he is not listed. His students would call him very late at night for answers or other people would try to contact another Schlemiel. If he was listed in the phone book the story would have ended earlier. He pats the stray dog he meets and decides to keep him. The wife disagrees to keep the dog, then ends up falling in love with the stray more than the Professor. These were some interactions found in this story. Professor Schlemiel has many traits in this story. He asks for help and directions as a normal person would do when lost. He is unfamiliar with others, does the opposite of things he wants to do, and this presents that he behaves in a lost, uncertain. Furthermore, he can feel isolated and with all these traits he is a complex character. As a complex character, he develops throughout the story. He forgets things but then is telling us the whole story of his memoir from his experience with each detail. This shows us that his memory has improved. Schlemiel had many issues and he becomes a friend who must help someone or something who cannot help themselves. This relationship between the stray and Schlemiel supports the theme of this story.

References

1. Singer, I. B. (1970). The Day I Got Lost. The New Yorker, 46(29), 34-38.
2. Singer, I. B. (1981). The Collected Stories of Isaac Bashevis Singer. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux.
3. Hadda, Y. (1991). Isaac Bashevis Singer: A Life. Oxford University Press.
4. Pinsker, S. (2005). A Rich, Strange Legacy: Isaac Bashevis Singer and the Yiddish Literary Tradition. Syracuse University Press.
5. Wirth-Nesher, H. (1994). Call It Sleep, Isaac Bashevis Singer, and the Lower East Side: Tunneling to the Other Side. Modern Language Studies, 24(1), 73-87.